1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus and a method for splicing threadlines and, more specifically, to such apparatus and method permitting splicing without stopping the moving threadline in order to perform the splicing operation.
2. Description of Background Art
It would be advantageous when using threadlines in knitting or weaving to have a continuous source of the fiber, yarn, or filament that make up the threadline so that the downstream process using the a threadline can be operated without stopping. However, all such threadlines are shipped in discrete packages, and connecting the end of one package to the beginning of the next package becomes necessary.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,668,852 discloses an apparatus for automatically wrapping a splicing filament around the yarns to be spliced. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,923,588 and 3,690,994 describe devices for thermally splicing thermoplastic yarns. All of the devices disclosed above require that the moving threadline be stopped in order to perform the splicing manipulation.
International Patent Application No. PCT/US97/02494 discloses pressing and heat fusing two yarns which are placed in a crossing position which avoids having to stop the advancing threadline, but a complex mechanical buffer system is required to do so.
German Published Patent Application No. 33 36 202 discloses a device for interlacing filament yarns with an air splicer without interrupting yarn transport. This process, however, is limited to uncoalesced multifilament threadlines.
There exists a need for a simple, versatile, and reliable apparatus and method for splicing a moving threadline to another threadline, especially for spandex.